Blade of the White Lotus
by FaeBreeze
Summary: In a world where Kya died in childbirth not at the hands of the Fire Nation, the princess of the Southern Water Tribe was sent from her home before she was thirteen moons old. She was to be the ultimate weapon of the resistance...of the White Lotus.
1. Grief

**_Blade of the White Lotus_**

_Prologue: Grief _

Grief is a powerful thing and sometimes people simply fall under its thrall…

_____

Hakoda walked in tense jerking steps, from one end of the cramped room to the next. Back and forth, back and forth he paced; his hands in a white knuckled grip behind his back and his brow furrowed as he tried to sort through his panicked mind and block out the sounds coming from the room beside him. Gasping screams and harsh breathing was interspersed with the soothing murmurs of the midwife. Hakoda could hear all of it and as the screaming began again, he wanted to run that is before he shook of his cowardice. He would wait for Kya and the birth of his second son with dignity, damn it!

Suddenly a new voice was added to the cacophony and the wolf skin that covered the entrance of the birthing room was thrown back. The sadness and regret that swelled in the eyes of the midwife filled his mind with an all encompassing terror._ He could not lose her!_

Hakoda shoved past the woman, not even glancing at the soft whimpering bundle in her arms. He stumbled to his wife's side and, ignoring the blood soaked sheets, crushed her limp body to his chest. Mindless in his grief he roared with anger and horror at the injustice that had torn his heart from this world…

Standing near the door, the midwife held the newborn close as she watched her Chief clutch brokenly at his wife's body. Lady Kya would be missed, she thought as she turned and left the heartbreaking scene in the igloo. However, now she needed to find a wet nurse for the crying baby girl. The poor thing had come at the wrong time and to the wrong place. She wasn't even the right gender, the nurse thought; after all, women did not go to war. The midwife would never know just how wrong she was…

______

Two weeks passed before Hakoda could bear to look at the baby who had stolen Kya's last breath. He looked down into the seal-cat skin lined crib. Hakoda did not see a pudgy, blue eyed baby girl, he saw his wife's killer. He couldn't even send her off to the Earth Kingdom to become a soldier there. She would be here, taunting him with her mother's death until he could find a way to rid himself of her.

The baby must have gotten some idea of what he was thinking. She began to whimper. Hakoda frowned at her, she began to cry. His frown darkened into something fearsome to behold and the tiny infant let loose an ear piercing wail. But no one heard her and as her father stalked away she faded from his mind.

After the day Hakoda first saw his daughter he blocked out the rest of the world, including his three year old son, and dove into the war effort. He trained soldiers, wrote letters to neighboring villages, calling for all able bodied men and worked harder than he ever had before. Some say this was an effort to forget Kya's death, others that he wanted to prove himself to her one last time but some said that the real reason he did it was to avoid the child he had come to blame all his misfortunes on.

Two months after his wife's death he made contact with a coalition, of leaders and powerful men around the globe, working to end the war, they called themselves the White Lotus. They asked him to join them and work with them towards this righteous goal. The Chief of the Southern Water Tribe leapt at the chance to lose himself farther in the world of war. After all what did he have to lose? He had lost all that he had ever cared for.

_______

Sokka was a strong boy. Even at only four years old you could tell that. The tilt of his chin and the glint in his eyes told the tale well. He was bright and quickest to find the humor in any situation. He liked to run and fish and play warriors but above all he loved his baby sister. She was cute and cuddly and always listened and best of all she never left him. Not like his mom, who went away and never came back or his dad who never had time. She was always there and ready to play. Sokka loved his baby sister and his baby sister loved him, in her own baby way. Of course Sokka would never admit any of this because someday he would be Chief Sokka and Chiefs didn't do wimpy things like that. At least his dad, who was the best Chief in the whole wide world, never did.

_______

The Chiefs daughter was three months old before she was named. Hakoda would not do it and Sokka could not so her wet nurse and the other women of the village did. The collectively decided that "Tara" was a sweet name for a sweet baby girl.

Tara was six months old when she waterbent for the first time. She had been throwing a tantrum because her nurse had taken the moccasin that she had been chewing on away. Her blue eyes stared accusingly at her nurse before she began to scream…and scream. When no one immediately leapt to her side, (her nurse was returning the chewed shoe) her voice went up in pitch. Just as her wail reached its peak Chief Hakoda and a Northern Water Tribe Ambassador walked into the main courtyard. Hakoda paused and turned to look at the baby sitting on the ice then his eyes fixed on her nurse who had just returned and was out of breath.

"Keep her silent or remove her." The chill in his voice could have frozen flame. Then without a backward glance he spun on his heel, and beckoning to the Ambassador, strolled away as if nothing had ever happened. The man had turned to follow but took one last look at the child. The nurse had covered her mouth but with one final silent shriek she threw her chubby baby fists against the ice beneath her. The floor of the frozen atrium shuddered and the wall behind the infant shattered into a million sparkling snowflakes. The blanket of snow glistened and shimmered as it descended over the muted courtyard. Not a sound broke the silence of that frozen land and for a moment it seemed as if time had stopped.

Then a strangled "_Twi and La!_" burst from the Northern Ambassadors throat. It broke the spell and life returned to the occupants of the courtyard. The shaken nurse grabbed the baby girl and fled the eyes that clung to her charge.

Even Hakoda had stopped and watched his daughter's destructive wrath. However, his only thought was for the energy it would take to rebuild the wall and clear the courtyard of its fine dusting of snow. His gust of annoyed breath hung in the air before him. What would he do with the child? She was a nuisance that brought him only trouble and painful memories.

The Ambassadors thoughts however, were very different from Hakoda's, with the exception of their focus. That baby had just destroyed a thirty foot tall ice wall; it was a feat that many waterbenders who had trained for years had trouble accomplishing. In fact he couldn't recall a case this powerful in any waterbender with the obvious exception of the Avatar. With one last glance a the back of the retreating nurse, the man spun and hurried after the Southern Chief who had turned to leave as well. His eyes alight with excitement, the Ambassador made a mental note to write his superiors. The High Council of the White Lotus would want to hear of his extraordinary discovery.

_______

When the High Council of the White Lotus was informed about the explosively powerful baby living in the backwater that was the Southern Water Tribe a ripple of excitement and interest ran through their ranks. Two men's eyes gleamed especially bright as they shared a look across the table that separated them. This was the perfect opportunity to sell their new battle tactic to the rest of the Council. Master Waterbender, Advisor to the Chief of the Northern Water Tribe and seventh in line to the throne of the Northern Water Tribe cleared his throat. Swiftly the request for silence filtered through the Council Chamber.

Pakku glanced about the room, and then began to speak. "I would like to address and issue which has been overlooked at previous meetings because it seemed to be under control. It isn't. Our spies and undercover agents are being caught and killed at an alarming pace. It doesn't seem to make a difference whether they are nobles or commoners, they all die. I suggest a solution to this problem. You see the root of the issue is training. None of them had enough. They don't have a sufficient amount of time to learn, and these things must be ingrained from a very you age if the training is to have any positive affect at all." He looked about to gauge his fellow Council members reaction.

Most were nodding in agreement, some still looked a tad dubious and a general from the North Western Earth Kingdom was frowning. "Are you suggesting we train _children_?" he asked incredulously.

Master Paindao spoke up then, when Pakku sent him a meaningful glance. "We would train only orphans who showed potential or children whose parents would be willing to give up. Much like the case of the Southern girl, her father doesn't care for her I hear. However, many other families simply do not have enough food for all their children. We would give some a place to stay and a lasting stability."

The Earth general shook his head. "But some would be killed or-"

"Freedom always comes with a price" Pakku interrupted, "and a handful of highly trained young warriors is better that hundreds of half trained civilians who just want to go home and find their families safe." He looked about the room at the faced of the High Council of the White Lotus. "Eighteen years until the comet comes. That is more than enough time to train them and utilize them."

There was a murmur of assent throughout the room. A decision had been made.

Suddenly, King Bumi of Omashu threw out a gnarled hand and pointed to the Fire Nation swordsman and the Water Tribe noble in turn. His eyes glinted with madness, or was it a brilliant almost incomprehensibly vast genius…

"You two started this," he cackled, "and you will be the ones responsible for it. If something goes wrong, you will deal with it. Just make sure you deal with it the right way!"

Paindao and Pakku shared a look. Bumi may have been the Grandmaster of the White Lotus but in his old age his mind was beginning to slip. _Obviously_ they would take responsibilities for their own ideas and deal with any problems.

A few minutes later the meeting was adjured and the Council began to disperse. King Bumi watched the man of fire and the man of water walk from the room. They were talking enthusiastically and grinning in excitement as they started to plan out their recruitment strategy.

"Destiny is a funny thing…" the old man murmured, his eyes shining with amusement and uncounted secrets.

_______

Sokka would never forget the day that his naïve, childish vision of the world was destroyed. The day that the perfectly segregated realms of black and white, good and bad, clashed and left him stranded in a grim world of grey. The day he lost his childhood. The day that Tara was taken… no she wasn't taken, she was sold, like an animal, she was sold so that their father could move up in the ranks of the White Lotus. That was the last day that he ever really trusted Hakoda.

The day that his baby sister was taken from him had begun like any other, or so it seemed to his four year old mind. He missed the glances that his father's silken clad visitors sent Tara's way. Or the hushed, excited murmurs that could be heard coming from Hakoda's meeting room. He missed the business transaction that went on behind closed doors. Tara was lost to him even before the men in dark silk took her away. When they came for her at first her was confused, why would they come to see her? No one but he and the nurse ever came to see Tara.

The nurse was confused as well. However, as the men explained to her in low calming voices she understood. This was goodbye. Looking down at the toddler that sat playing with ice blocks on the floor she sighed, after all there was nothing she could do, and this was the way of the world. She nodded her understanding and lifted the oblivious baby into one of the men's arms.

During this whole exchange Sokka had looked on with dawning horror as he realized what was happening. Leaping to his feet, he charged the strangers, little fists swinging wildly.

"You can't take her! Leave her alone!" he screamed as he railed against the men above him. The baby in the taller mans arms seemed to sense her brothers distress and began to wail. Then the nurse jumped into the fray and tried to grab the boy before he did any damage to himself or the Chiefs important visitors.

It was during all this that Hakoda walked in. Looking at the scene before him his face drew into a scowl. "What is the meaning of this!" he barked. Everyone in the room stilled, startled out of their madness by the authority in his tone.

Sokka broke the silence. "They're trying to take Tara away!" he said looking at his father in relief. His dad would show them! But his heart sank at the look of disapproval in his fathers eyes.

Hakoda pulled his son to his side and quelled any protest with a very stern look. Then without a glance in her direction he dismissed the nurse with a wave of his hand. After she scurried from the room he bowed to the men before him.

"My brothers, I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience, my son hasn't been informed of the situation yet and he is attached to the girl. Not to worry though, it won't be a problem in the future. You're ship is ready for departure." He smiled reassuringly to the men in front of him and laid a hand on his sons shoulder.

The men nodded and the one holding Tara smiled in return. "Thank you for your hospitality Chief Hakoda. And your son's actions were understandable in this situation. Loyalty is a good quality to have in the future Chief of the Southern Water Tribe. Now, we must be off, be well my brother." With that both men turned and walked away.

"May La watch over you!" Hakoda called to their retreating backs. Then he looked down at his son, whose eyes were glistening with unshed tears. Hakoda gave Sokka's shoulder a squeeze "It was for the best, my son." Then he turned and walked back towards his chambers. The Southern Chief missed the trust that lay dead in his young heirs eyes.

_______

_ Six Years Later…_

Cherry blossoms drifted from the trees and were carried down by a gentle breeze. The sunlight that filtered through the leaves seemed to paint the landscape a beautiful emerald shade. That particular color could only be found on the Western coast of the Earth Kingdom in late spring, mused Pakku contentedly. He should know, after all of his extensive traveling to find and recruit an army of children that would eventually surpass any ever trained before. He sat, sipping green-ginger tea and contemplating the fruits of his labors when the distinct thumps and groans of combat reached his ears. Pakku's lips twitched in a semblance of a smile. There was only one person who would be practicing so close to the Council member's residence. Jeong-Jeong must have requested a performance of _the prodigy. _

Pakku set his tea cup aside and pulled himself to his feet, then, beckoned by the thought of the presentation he was missing, he made his way to the east courtyard where four armed men could be seen attacking a small blue eyed little girl…_Hardly fair-_ Pakku thought, looking on _-the men don't stand a snowball's chance in the Fire Nation against her._

He was proven right as suddenly one man was thrown into a nearby fountain and another dropped to the ground holding his knee and hissing. The two that were left eyed the small, dark clad girl before them warily. Then she moved, leaping forward before the one closest to her could react she struck him in the skull and flipped up and over her last opponent. The poor soldier spun but was too late as a tiny, lethal blade touched his temple. He knew all too well that she had more than enough strength to drive it in and froze. The tiny girl before him grinned up into his face and he thought for a moment that she really was just like her blade. Cold and lethal. Then with a flick of her wrist she withdrew her blade and bowed before she spun to greet the Lotus members that had been watching.

Pakku and Jeong-Jeong stood waiting for her as she finished. The girl was really a beautifully gifted warrior even at such a young age. She somehow managed to bring to mind her element even when she wasn't bending, as she leapt and flowed across the courtyard. Both of the men watched her with pride gleaming in there opposing eyes.

The perfect weapon, Jeong-Jeong thought with a sardonic smile. The irony was not lost on him that an Order whose entire purpose was world peace had also created the world's greatest weapon. She hadn't always been this way…

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

_Flash Back…_

It had been dark and stormy the night the ship came in bearing the precious treasure that was the most powerful bender either Pakku or Jeong-Jeong had ever heard of, obviously excluding the long lost Avatar. When the recruitments officer had brought in the small bundle of furs that held so much potential, excitement had buzzed through the Spy Masters' minds. Their chance was finally here, the one they had waited for!

The man had placed her on a low lying table that sat in front of the two influential Council members. He had bowed and as he straightened again he spoke, "Her name is Tara."

Pakku's eyes flashed with irritation and they leapt from the sleeping child to the weary man's face. "No, it isn't." he said sharply, coldly. "She will never have a child's name again. She is not a child. She is not even a girl. She is a weapon. Her name from this day forth is _Katara._ A fitting name for a blade of the White Lotus" he stated, his tone laced with an aloof, arctic chill.

In the dark room that was lit only by flickering candlelight, it seemed that frowned before he bowed his head in acceptance, but it was too late to question him because he beat a hasty retreat out of the shadowy chamber. The truth was that he really didn't agree with his superiors on this subject, not that he would ever say so. So he left them to their dreams of victory in the war. A victory bought with the innocence they were trying to protect.

Back in the dim room the men looked down at the child who looked absolutely defenseless before them. They would soon remedy that…outside lightning flashed and for a brief moment the babes face was lit with and eerie silver light, then all went dark again.


	2. Lessons

_Second Prologue: Lessons_

___

Katara had never been able to remember a time in her life that she hadn't been honing herself, body and mind, into the weapon the White Lotus needed. To the farthest reaches of her memory she couldn't recall a time when someone had not been trying to impress upon her the importance of her final mission. Not that anyone ever really told her what her last mission would entail, only that it would be the catalyst that would enable the White Lotus to overthrow the Fire Lord and his regime.

No one told her what the mission would be… she should have demanded the tell her. If she had then maybe the whole thing could have been avoided. As it is, fate would have her way and a legend would be born…

______

Katara had always been special, as far as her trainers were concerned. She learned faster than any of the other children and mastered new techniques within minutes of having seen then. She was always the first to answer any question and never contradicted her teachers. In short she was the perfect student.

When she was four she was already fluent in two languages and could recite the names and positions of the entire Fire Nation Imperial Court. During the spring of her sixth year she defeated her waterbending sensei in a spar… she never lost to him again.

Katara flew through her lessons and it seemed that nothing could challenge the young prodigy for long. Eventually, out of boredom, she began to find things to challenge herself. So it came as no surprise to her teachers when they found her and some of her fellow spies-in-training, drawing up battle plans for a raid on a local pastry shop. Of course they scolded the children and sent them on there way. What they did not expect however, was the fact that the plans, written entirely in Katara's flowing calligraphy, were so well done that they were almost indistinguishable from the work of any General in the Order. So her teachers did the responsible thing and presented her plans to Spymasters Pakku and Paindao.

The Council members, after a glance at the almost flawless battle plans, came to the conclusion that something had to be done about this disturbing demonstration of her ability to think for herself. In private they thanked the Spirits that this had been brought to their attention before it was too late and she developed a mind of her own, Agni forbid. After all, weapons did _not _think for themselves. The same day that they were informed of the unfortunate development of self government in the girl Pakku issued the command that from that day forth Katara would be placed under new tutelage as befitting a student of her abilities.

Just like that, Katara's entire world was turned upside down and she was ripped once more from all that was familiar. At the time if you had asked her what she was feeling, she wouldn't have been able to name the emotion that welled up inside her and stung her throat with its bitterness. But sometimes, it is for the best that resentment is not named.

_______

Katara was able to keep one thing that she had gained while training with the other children and that was her best friend Sarissa. They had been inseparable for as long as they could talk. Both of them had been trained as spies and assassins if need be, but Sarissa's cover would eventually be that of a nurse in the home of a high ranking Fire Nation official. After all, people tend not to watch what they say in the sickbed.

Sarissa and Katara were allowed to stay in contact only because it was understood by the Council that having someone to confide in could prove the difference between Katara's ultimate success and failure. It also didn't hurt that Sarissa was utterly loyal to the White Lotus, after they had had saved her family from horrible deaths at the hands of the Fire Nation. So the Council had a spy for their perfect spy.

_______

After Katara was taken away from the rest of the young spies (with the exception of Sarissa), she was placed under the tutelage of the best warriors that the White Lotus had at their disposal. They were the best of the best and pushed Katara farther than any child should be made to go. So far in face that she should have broken but just like her element she adapted. Weaving herself into a new form and taking paths that were never there before. It was the way of her element after all, to change.

So Katara went on like this, finding ways to do things that couldn't be done. It came as no great surprise then, to the rest of the remote training compound, that when her first mission was given to her she did not bat and eyelash at the fact that she was being asked to infiltrate the most impenetrable stronghold of the Fire Nation before her eighth birthday. She was the Blade of the White Lotus and it was something that should be within her abilities. However, even though it was expected when she came back with a list of all the prisoners of war held in the Boiling Rock and only bruised knuckles to show for it, the High Council of the White Lotus was shocked. They obviously had not been there to witness her training. If they had, they would already have known that Katara did _not_ fail.

_______

The legends do not tell that the first time the Blade of the White Lotus was ordered to kill she hesitated. It had been during the summer of her tenth year and when then missive had arrived, by way of an inconspicuous messenger hawk, at first Katara had not moved. For some inexplicable reason she was reluctant to kill the Earth Kingdom noble whose estate she had been masquerading as a maid on for the past two weeks. The thought of course was ridiculous, she had been training for this her entire life and he was a traitor to his Kingdom.

That same day however, Katara's dilemma was solved for her when she walked in on the man beating his four year old son. She had been delivering his evening meal and froze at the violence. For a moment as she took in the scene she did not see a brown eyes bushy haired boy but a child with laughing blue eyes and a wolf tail…

One moment she stood in the doorway watching the nobleman kicking the boy, who lay curled in a fetal position at his feet and the next she was standing over him as he twitched on the floor, a dagger protruding from one eye. As the blood pounded in her ears and the red haze clouding her vision slowly faded, reality seeped back into her fury crazed mind. The child was going to wonder why the beating had stopped so suddenly. In her shock she reached for the boy and pulled him to her, hugging him as he sobbed. It was the only thing she could think to do, as stunned as she was. As she knelt on the floor holding the broken child Katara began to sing a lullaby that Sarissa had sung to her when she was hurt. She did not tell him that everything would be all right because it wouldn't and Katara hated to lie if she didn't have to.

Slowly but surely the child stopped crying and simply lay still in her arms. Katara clutched the boy and pulled herself to her feet and holding her soft burden, cautiously made her way back to the nursery. Then she turned, marched back to her rooms and began to pack. There was no need to dispose of the body, by the time someone found it she would be long gone, and his death would serve as warning to others who were contemplating treason.

As she began her journey home, or the closest approximation she had ever experienced, she could not bring herself to regret her actions. The disgusting animal had deserved what he got and more. She decided then and there, as she leapt across a stream at the edge of his property, that she would only ever kill if there was a real reason for her target to die. A real reason being something quantifiable not just a simple changing of sides in the war… This decision went unnoticed by the White Lotus because by fluke or synchronicity she was never given a target that did not deserve death. That is, not until she was given her final assignment.

* * *

Next Chapter: Katara is given her assignment and the story really begins...

* * *

Authors Note

Thanks so much for all the reviews and please keep them coming, its always good to hear what you guys think! I'll try to update every week or so and possibly more often during the spring break. Until my next update though, don't lose hope because it _is _coming! TTFN


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